“Wireline subscribers further declined from 21.79 million at the end of January to 21.72 million at the end of February,” the report said. Net decline in the wireline subscriber base was 0.07 million with a monthly decline rate of 0.36 per cent.

The milestone was reached on March 2, they added.

Queries sent to Jio on the matter remained unanswered.

Vodafone Idea hit a new low of Rs 16.40, down 3 per cent, on the BSE on Wednesday, falling 10 per cent in past three trading days, after the stock turned ex-date for rights issue on March 29.

At 10:33 AM, the stock had erased its early morning gain and was trading 6 per cent higher at Rs 18.50 on the BSE. It touched an intra-day low of Rs 17.85, and is just 4.4 per cent away from its record low price of Rs 17.06 (adjusted to rights issue) touched on Thursday, March 28.

Even the average download speed is very divergent in the two sets of methods adopted by the regulator.

The deal is the second major fundraising by an Indian telco this year after Bharti Airtel Ltd announced a similar plan to reduce debt and fund operations in a market blighted by steep price competition.

However, the tribunal also said the DoT can’t coerce the company and other operators to pay the charges through a forced bilateral agreement by extending the threat of losing the backhaul spectrum if they do not sign on the dotted lines.

A source privy to the development told PTI that India's largest telecom operator Vodafone Idea has made payment of over Rs 3,042.7 crore to the Department of Telecom towards its spectrum dues (that is, deferred payment instalment for spectrum bought in auctions).

Currently, the equipments will be used for 4G services and can be upgraded to provide 5G services as per business requirement of Vodafone Idea, Ericsson said.